200 More Boxes Sent Following Xi Jinping's Words of Appreciation
"I enjoyed the Hwangnam bread."
This is what Chinese President Xi Jinping said to President Lee Jaemyung on October 30, during his visit to Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, marking his first visit to Korea in 11 years. The two leaders met for the first time that day, one day ahead of their scheduled summit on November 1.
Photo of Hwangnam bread sent to Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Chinese delegation. Office of the President
On the morning of October 30 at 9:21 a.m., President Lee welcomed representatives from the 21 APEC member countries at the photo wall set up at the entrance to the APEC summit venue. President Xi was originally scheduled to enter fifth from last, but instead entered last.
At that moment, President Lee and President Xi exchanged greetings and shook hands. When President Lee greeted him with a smile, President Xi nodded in response. After taking commemorative photos, the two leaders walked into the conference hall together, at which point President Xi remarked, "I enjoyed the Hwangnam bread." President Lee responded with a big laugh, expressing his gratitude-a moment captured on camera.
According to a briefing from the Office of the President on October 31, President Lee presented President Xi with freshly baked, warm Hwangnam bread wrapped in a traditional Korean cloth, along with a message wishing him to enjoy "the taste of Gyeongju." That morning, an additional 200 boxes of Hwangnam bread were also delivered to the Chinese delegation. Hwangnam bread, a specialty of Gyeongju, is an official sponsor of the APEC summit week designated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is being served as a dessert to summit participants.
President Lee and President Xi are scheduled to meet again tomorrow (November 1) for the Korea-China summit. President Xi arrived in Korea on October 30 as a state guest and is on a three-day, two-night visit.
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